Gen Z grievances genuine, protesters not anti-national: Mohan Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat backed Gen Z's grievances, saying young protesters are not anti-national, and called for dialogue to address concerns and build consensus

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday strongly backed Gen Z, saying their grievances are genuine and insisting that young people who protest should not be labelled anti-national.

 

“The Gen Z grievances are genuine and I believe in their honesty,” Bhagwat said. “If you ask me to trust blindly, I’ll trust Gen Z,” he said, according to PTI. Speaking at the 15th anniversary event of India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) in Mumbai, attended by around 2,000 members of Gen Z and Gen Alpha, Bhagwat said protest is a legitimate democratic tool aimed at building consensus rather than creating divisions.

 

 

“Protest is also a way of dialogue. In a democracy, protest is a way of building consensus. Different views come together and a consensus evolves after discussion,” Bhagwat said. “If Gen Z members are agitating, they are not anti-national; they are our people. It is our next generation. You need a dialogue and rapport with them,” he said.

 

He added that when concerns are not addressed through dialogue, people may turn to agitation, but the objective should remain consensus-building rather than division.

 

The remarks come days after student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Delhi over alleged National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leaks, which eventually led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

 

Gen Z asks questions, seeks logical answers: Bhagwat

 

Bhagwat said today’s youth engage with the world differently from earlier generations and are more willing to question authority.

 

“When we were at the age of Gen Z, the nature of our generation was such that we would accept what the elders said. We wouldn’t question. Now Gen Z and Gen Alpha ask questions; they want logical answers,” he said, ANI reported.

 

“I feel that the new generation, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, is more honest than our current generation, and they genuinely respond to appeals regarding patriotism and service,” Bhagwat added.

 

Framing protests as a democratic instrument, Bhagwat said people resort to agitation when other methods fail.

 

“Protest is also a form of dialogue. We are sitting here and talking; if things are understood this way, it’s fine. Otherwise, there will be a debate between us. If you are in some difficulty, or I am in some difficulty, and it is in your hands or my hands to resolve it, and it’s not happening, then I will shout,” he said.

 

Asked whether earlier dialogue could have prevented the escalation of recent protests, Bhagwat said shortcomings in the system needed to be acknowledged and corrected. “When something that shouldn’t happen does happen, then there must be a mistake somewhere; that’s why it happens. Whose it is, what it is, that’s a different matter. But there has been a deficiency. It will be fixed, it should be done, that’s what I believe,” he said.

 

What did Bhagwat say on police action against protesters?

 

Asked about allegations of lathi charges and the use of pellet guns against student protesters, Bhagwat declined to comment conclusively, saying he lacked complete information.

 

“We’ll have to go into the reasons why and what happened, for which the information needed, I don’t have,” he said, ANI reported.

 

Bhagwat backs higher education spending, flags social media risks

 

Bhagwat backed increasing spending on education to 6 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). “Education is not a commercial business; it should be structured in such a way that it is available for all,” he said.

 

Warning against the misuse of technology, Bhagwat urged people not to trust social media content without verification. “Today, technology can create fake videos using our faces and voices. Knowing this, people should never believe anything on social media without verifying it from authentic sources,” he said.

 

He also said social media influencers have a responsibility towards their followers. Responding to a question on whether social media should be banned for children, Bhagwat argued that restrictions alone would not work.

 

“If you ban something, it simply moves to the black market and spreads even more. The entire society has to respond to this challenge together. Only then will the government’s efforts succeed,” he said.

 

'Reservation will remain necessary as long as discrimination continues'

 

On reservation, Bhagwat said it was introduced to address social discrimination and would remain necessary as long as discrimination continued.

 

“If honestly we follow Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s advice then there is no problem. Reservation was introduced for social discrimination. As long as social discrimination continues, reservation will exist,” he said.

 

He also referred to demands for sub-categorisation within reservation and observations made by the Supreme Court on the issue.

 

“There are some voices within the beneficiaries of reservation that they have received enough; now it is time to extend those benefits to others. Sub-categorisation is in demand and even the Supreme Court has stated similarly. Reservation is for upliftment and not permanent. Encourage such a stream and keep aside politics,” he said.

 

Employment is more than government jobs, says Bhagwat

 

On employment, Bhagwat said society must broaden its understanding beyond government jobs and give greater dignity to skilled and manual work.

 

“Employment is not only jobs. We need to change the mindset. It is also entrepreneurship and skilled work. Unfortunately, society does not respect people who work with their hands. We have to regain the dignity of labour,” he said.

 

Dialogue with Pakistan, China should continue after conflicts

 

On relations with countries such as Pakistan and China, Bhagwat said citizens should stand with the government and armed forces during conflicts, but dialogue should not permanently end.

 

“In times of conflict, we have to go with whatever the government or military does. But that should not sever the ties which are already there,” he said.

 

He added that India’s approach was not to “conquer or obliterate others” but to pursue a “harmonious assimilating process", which required dialogue. “During conflicts, dialogue can be halted, but conflict should not sever dialogue. After a conflict is resolved, we have to take it forward from where we left it. Permanent animosity or hatred is not the solution,” Bhagwat said.

  (With agencies inputs)